Scientists and clinicians are realizing the solution to better survival rates will be a combination of traditional techniques with novel treatments. One of the most exciting developments in the last few years in the field of cancer is immunotherapy.

Thanks to a world-class immunotherapy partnership borne here in Alberta, we can transform treatment and improve outcomes for patients.

Together, with the Li Ka Shing Virology Institute, we have invested $5.4 million in one of the most promising new cancer treatments in decades. The Alberta Cancer Foundation has committed $2.4 million towards the overall goal and we invite you to be part of this opportunity.

"I just want to help, and discover new drugs… We are working to find a more affordable, more controlled, safer type of treatment for cancer."

- Dr. Khaled Barakat

Cancer cells are good at playing tricks on the body’s immune system in order to avoid attack. With immunotherapy, antibodies are used to supercharge the body’s immune system which then suppresses a tumour’s ability to evade detection.

Immunotherapy is the leading edge of a wave of sophisticated new directions in cancer treatment that attack the disease with remarkable precision. It has led to an explosion in the number of options that are available, or soon might be.

To get those breakthroughs to patients faster, the Alberta Cancer Foundation has invested in a partnership that will allow researchers to harness the power of the immune system.

Led by Dr. Khaled Barakat, from the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Alberta, this research team is developing novel small molecule drugs that will enable the body’s own immune system to fight against their cancer.

We invite you to be part of our $2.4 million opportunity to transform research and accelerate the development of novel therapies towards improved patient outcomes.